July 2026 Issue of Becker’s Hospital Review
On The Cover
Peter Banko, President and CEO, Baystate Health
Peter Banko wrote a book about firing people. He will be the first to tell you it isn’t really about that.
Jayson Laban, VP, CIO, UTMB
Jayson Laban stepped into the vice president and CIO role at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on May 1 with a clear vision for the organization’s technology strategy.
Michael Browning, SEVP, CFO, CommonSpirit Health
Things are likely to get worse before they get better for Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health.
Onisis Stefas, PharmD, CEO, VIVO Health (Northwell Health)
The role of health system pharmacy executives has changed, as has the communication style required to sustain it.
Paul Chausse Jr., SVP, Revenue Cycle, Chief Revenue Cycle Officer, Tampa General Hospital
Like many roles in healthcare, revenue cycle leadership has evolved over the years, with a focus on developing a high-performing and educated team as the technology landscape becomes increasingly prevalent.
Paul LePage, VP, Revenue Cycle, UC Davis Health
Artificial intelligence and automation are critical tools as health systems look to drive improvements in their revenue cycle, but transformation requires more than what technology alone can solve.
‘Nothing is off the table’: CommonSpirit ramps up $6B turnaround plan
Things are likely to get worse before they get better for Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health.
Baystate’s CEO: ‘Leadership is not a popularity contest’
Peter Banko wrote a book about firing people. He will be the first to tell you it isn’t really about that.
How hospitals are filling the public health void
After cuts to federal agencies and multiple disease outbreaks nationally and abroad, hospitals are working to fill the gaps in public health preparedness and prevention.
UTMB CIO wants to create AI ‘blueprint’ for academic medicine
Jayson Laban stepped into the vice president and CIO role at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on May 1 with a clear vision for the organization’s technology strategy.
Pharmacy leaders adopt a new language for the C-suite
The role of health system pharmacy executives has changed, as has the communication style required to sustain it.
How Texas Children’s cut pharmacy inventory costs by $14M
For years, pharmacy inventory management at Houston-based Texas Children’s relied on a process familiar to many health systems: manual counts, visual inspections and a significant amount of guesswork.
CMS puts Medicaid demonstration waivers on a tighter leash: 5 notes
CMS issued guidance June 11 outlining plans to update its assessment of Medicaid section 1115 demonstration projects.
CEOs lean on balance, culture to retain leaders
Better work-life balance was selected as the most important factor in health systems’ efforts to retain leaders, according to a May 26 Becker’s LinkedIn poll.
A sharp rise in CEO age: Study
The average age of newly appointed CEOs has increased sharply over the past few decades, according to an April 2026 research paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
New York hospital promotes 18-year veteran to COO amid leadership change
Cassandra Davis, MS, was appointed COO of Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, N.Y., effective June 15, according to a news release shared with Becker’s.
CIOs welcome Project Glasswing’s expansion to healthcare
Health system leaders told Becker’s they’re encouraged by AI developer Anthropic opening up its Project Glasswing cybersecurity initiative to healthcare, though the participant list remains largely unnamed.
How 3 CHROs spot — and stop — the ‘mid-career stall’
Nearly 22% of mid-career U.S. healthcare workers have hit a stall: employed but without a meaningful promotion or raise for five or more years, according to a recent study. Three hospital and health system chief human resources officers told Becker’s how they are getting ahead of it.
How hospitals are fending off a retirement wave
While hospitals and health systems work to recruit and retain the next generation of healthcare talent, another group is also top of mind: those nearing retirement age.
From billing experts to team building: How RCM leadership has evolved
Like many roles in healthcare, revenue cycle leadership has evolved over the years, with a focus on developing a high-performing and educated team as the technology landscape becomes increasingly prevalent.
CFO Finance
‘Nothing is off the table’: CommonSpirit ramps up $6B turnaround plan
Things are likely to get worse before they get better for Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health.
CMS puts Medicaid demonstration waivers on a tighter leash: 5 notes
CMS issued guidance June 11 outlining plans to update its assessment of Medicaid section 1115 demonstration projects.
CEO Strategy
Baystate’s CEO: ‘Leadership is not a popularity contest’
Peter Banko wrote a book about firing people. He will be the first to tell you it isn’t really about that.
CEOs lean on balance, culture to retain leaders
Better work-life balance was selected as the most important factor in health systems’ efforts to retain leaders, according to a May 26 Becker’s LinkedIn poll.
A sharp rise in CEO age: Study
The average age of newly appointed CEOs has increased sharply over the past few decades, according to an April 2026 research paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
COO
New York hospital promotes 18-year veteran to COO amid leadership change
Cassandra Davis, MS, was appointed COO of Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, N.Y., effective June 15, according to a news release shared with Becker’s.
American Cancer Society names 1st COO
The American Cancer Society has appointed Art delaCruz as the organization’s first COO.
Hackensack Meridian hospital taps COO
Joshua Jerome has been promoted to COO of Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, N.J.
HCA Texas hospital names COO
Rachel Sloan has been appointed COO of St. David’s Georgetown (Texas) Hospital, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare.
HCA hospital in Tennessee names COO
Sam Younger, PhD, MSN, was named COO of TriStar Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn., part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare.
Clinical Leadership
How hospitals are filling the public health void
After cuts to federal agencies and multiple disease outbreaks nationally and abroad, hospitals are working to fill the gaps in public health preparedness and prevention.
Data, cross-training, and pipeline development: How health systems are rethinking OR staffing
The operating room has always demanded precision — and now that same precision is being applied to the workforce that makes surgical care possible. Across the country, perioperative leaders are moving away from static, fixed staffing models toward dynamic, data-driven approaches that align resources more closely to real surgical demand. At the same time, cross-training initiatives are building the kind of operational resilience that helps ORs absorb volume swings, cover gaps, and maintain quality care without defaulting on costly overtime. And with workforce shortages — particularly in anesthesia — showing no signs of easing, long-term pipeline development has become just as strategic a priority as day-to-day scheduling.
CIO / Health IT
UTMB CIO wants to create AI ‘blueprint’ for academic medicine
Jayson Laban stepped into the vice president and CIO role at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on May 1 with a clear vision for the organization’s technology strategy.
CIOs welcome Project Glasswing’s expansion to healthcare
Health system leaders told Becker’s they’re encouraged by AI developer Anthropic opening up its Project Glasswing cybersecurity initiative to healthcare, though the participant list remains largely unnamed.
PHARMACY
Pharmacy leaders adopt a new language for the C-suite
The role of health system pharmacy executives has changed, as has the communication style required to sustain it.
How Texas Children’s cut pharmacy inventory costs by $14M
For years, pharmacy inventory management at Houston-based Texas Children’s relied on a process familiar to many health systems: manual counts, visual inspections and a significant amount of guesswork.
CHRO
How 3 CHROs spot — and stop — the ‘mid-career stall’
Nearly 22% of mid-career U.S. healthcare workers have hit a stall: employed but without a meaningful promotion or raise for five or more years, according to a recent study. Three hospital and health system chief human resources officers told Becker’s how they are getting ahead of it.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles exec heads to California hospital as CHRO
Lisa Joins has been appointed vice president and chief human resources officer of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia, Calif. She stepped into the role May 18.
How hospitals are fending off a retirement wave
While hospitals and health systems work to recruit and retain the next generation of healthcare talent, another group is also top of mind: those nearing retirement age.
Integris names new CHRO
Oklahoma City-based Integris Health has appointed Laura Starks as chief human resources officer, effective July 27.
RCM Leader
From billing experts to team building: How RCM leadership has evolved
Like many roles in healthcare, revenue cycle leadership has evolved over the years, with a focus on developing a high-performing and educated team as the technology landscape becomes increasingly prevalent.
6 health systems outsourcing RCM functions
Here are six hospitals and health systems that have outsourced finance jobs or other revenue cycle functions in 2026:
Culture, governance drive revenue cycle transformation beyond technology
Artificial intelligence and automation are critical tools as health systems look to drive improvements in their revenue cycle, but transformation requires more than what technology alone can solve.
